WP4: Science valorisation

Objective
The main goal of the WP is to contribute in making EO resources optimally used for a sustainable development. In this aim, the WP will support capacity building within local and regional S&T communities, enabling them
to provide a sustainable contribution as resource providers in collaboration with international development programmes.
The WP will leverage the outcomes of previous and on-going FP7 projects (e.g. EGIDA, OBSERVE, enviroGRIDS, BalkanGEONet, GEONetCab, EuroGEOSS, GEOWOW, etc.), with specific reference to the EGIDA Methodology, and it will build upon other EOPOWER activities in Capacity Building and Resource Facility enhancement.
To achieve its goal the main operational objectives are:

To apply the EGIDA Methodology to a selected number of S&T communities in the regions addressed by the EOPOWER project for a sustainable contribution to GEOSS and other relevant international initiatives;

To report on issues and barriers to the valorisation of science products from S&T communities in the regions, as demonstrated by the EGIDA Methodology application;

To assess the EGIDA Methodology in respect of the specificities of the selected local and regional S&T communities;

To consolidate the lessons learned in a new methodology version: the EOPOWER science valorisation methodology.

CNR-IIA is getting involved with the Belmont Forum (a Forum of financing agencies for R&D); at the last meeting GEO GEOSS was considered as a Community and framework to support and work with.

Task T4.1- Pilot selection and definition
The EOPOWER project addresses 8 different regions (Southern Africa, French-speaking Africa, Czech Republic and Slovakia, Poland and Ukraine, Balkan region, Black Sea region, Turkey and Turkish-speaking countries, Latin America) each with its own characteristics and specificity. With the help of WP5-WP12 some pilots will
be defined. The target number of pilots is 3-5 depending on different aspects including addressability of an
S&T community, possible interaction with on-going activities for mobilization of resources, effort required. Each pilot will consist in the application of the EGIDA Methodology to a specific use-case which may be thematic or multi-thematic, local or regional, involving developing countries or addressing other specificities. The pilots will have some characteristics in common; in particular they will address the local/regional S&T communities helping them to valorise their EO products in a sustainable contribution to relevant international initiatives.

Task T4.2- Pilots running

Each pilot will apply the EGIDA Methodology to a specific use-case and it will provide feedback on relevant issues. Following the current version of the EGIDA Methodology the partners will perform networking and technical activities aiming to provide a contribution to GEOSS from the local/regional S&T communities in
the addressed area, thus valorising their EO products and expertise. This exercise will help to identify the barriers that S&T communities encounter in providing their EO knowledge and products especially in developing countries. It is expected that analyzing the outcomes from pilots some commonalities and some differences will result. This will help to improve both the capacity building approaches referring to the science segment and the EGIDA Methodology itself (see T4.3).

Task T4.3- Assessment and revision of the EGIDA Methodology
This task aims to a revision of the EGIDA Methodology taking into account the specificities encountered in running the pilots. This new version of the EGIDA Methodology (called the EOPOWER science valorisation methodology) will be provided as an EOPOWER outcome addressing local and regional S&T communities with particular reference to developing countries. It aims to be a tool for supporting capacity building concerning the engagement of S&T communities through a more sustainable contribution from the S&T communities which have often underused EO resources and knowledge.